Staff Reporter
The Free State Department of Treasury has rubbished as “fake news” claims that the provincial government awarded an unnamed company a contract for R80 million to sanitise its buildings as a measure to minimise the spread of the coronavirus.
In a statement issued Thursday by provincial treasury spokesperson person Tshidiso Mokokoane, the department said the post was both untrue and misleading.
It said it had had taken a deliberate decision to support local businesses and not just a single one.
“The Free State provincial government took a conscious decision not to procure COVID-19-related items through any other process that will not benefit the Free State suppliers,” said the treasury statement.
It added: “. . . hence, the deliberate decision to support Free State local business and revive the provincial economy and to that effect a decision was taken that provincial treasury must centrally procure COVID-19-related PPE (personal protective equipment) and essential commodities.”
The refutal follows a Facebook post by Edgar Curtis Legoale yesterday in which he seemingly asks tongue-in-cheek if it was true that only one company had benefitted from the multi-million-rand deal.
“Guys, is it true that one company was given 80 million tender to sanitise Free State government department buildings?” read part of the post in which he also tagged Free State Premier Sisi Ntombela and Finance MEC Gadija Brown.
“MEC Gadija Abrahams Brown if this is true please stop what you’re doing and prioritise people with disabilities, youth and women when you issue tenders. If you issue (an R80 million) tender at least let it benefit 80 Free State companies,” added Legoale, who who describes himself on his Facebook page with a host of superlatives and accolades, including “fearless, an entrepreneur, youth activist, leadership without a title and the Sowetan Young Boss 2016 and 2017”.
He argued that the majority of businesses in the province have been badly affected by COVID-19, hence the need for support in the form of business contracts.
He further alleges in the same post that another tender has been put out for bids to sanitise schools in the province.
“Now (there’s) another tender running to (sanitise) Free State schools. Free State government should appoint one company per town not limit it to (a) few companies,” he said.
The provincial treasury also refuted this and sought to put the record straight.
“The sanitisation and decontamination of the provincial government buildings and schools function is not entrusted with the Free State provincial treasury and any reports that suggest so are not correct and misleading,” the department explained.
The province has thus far reported an expenditure of R90 million on COVID-19 and it is anticipated that the expenditure will increase over a period of six months.
This expenditure relates to, among others, the procurement of essential commodities, sheltering and feeding of the homeless, food packages and others.
“As a province, we discourage any sharing of information that is incorrect and we recommend that proper processes must be followed to request the correct information from government,” the department said.
“To date, 74 companies were utilised by the Free State provincial government and only 26 companies (which translate to 34 percent) are companies that are (from) outside the Free State.”
It said the 34 percent was as a result of the initial instruction by national treasury — which was later revoked — which did not give local departments much to procure outside of the earlier contracts for COVID-19.
The department reiterated that it remains committed to supporting local businesses and giving them opportunities.
Legoale who seems quite active on Facebook also states that he is the treasurer general of the Youth Chamber of Commerce and Industry of South Africa and he “studies Construction Management at the Central University of Technology”.
The page also says that he works for the Free State Department of Health.
However, provincial health spokesperson Mondli Mvambi denied this saying he is only a board member for two hospitals in the province.
“He is a board member of Parys Hospital and Fezi Ngubentombi Hospital. He is not a full-time staff member,” said Mvambi in a written response to questions posed by The Free Stater.